Ames Chai : Starbucks vs Cafe Diem

Chai has been proven to be the best drink out there, but where is the best place to get the best drink? We’ve narrowed our search down to two places: Starbucks and Cafe Diem.

Our first stop was Starbucks.

Sabrina’s opinion: The latte was a little watered down. It tasted more like hot milk with a little bit of cinnamon. 6/10.

Megan’s opinion: The Starbucks chai tea absolutely let’s it’s tea side shine. The tea flavor is pretty vivid, but the overall taste is pretty watered down. This really was not that exciting. I would give this a 5/10.

Starbucks didn’t seem to impress us. This brand is known for their delicious coffee and frappuccinos, but maybe that’s where their business should stay. Starbucks is also a sort of fast drink experience and really is not that personal. The thing we did really like about the chai tea from Starbucks was that every cup bought sent an automatic donation to Oprah Academy Leadership Foundation. This foundation helps aspiring young adults reach their dreams. It creates opportunities to lower income families to help the children get where they want to be. We could absolutely relate to that and respect that fact hardcore, but there are Starbucks all over the nation and it makes the experience of drinking their chai a tad bit less enjoyable than if we were to drink it at a more personal place.

Speaking of a quaint and personal place, the next stop was Café Diem.

Sabrina’s opinion : I am in love with Cafe Diem’s chai latte. It’s warm and the perfect balance of spices to milky flavor. It may help that they add the extra cinnamon on the top. The grounds at the bottom don’t bother me, I think it’s what makes it so rich and flavorful. Their chai latte is perfect when you’re feeling under the weather. 9.5/10 (because every once in awhile you get a barista who hasn’t quite mastered the art of chai.

Megan’s opinion : This chai gives me a warmer feeling in my throat than the Starbucks one did. I absolutely want to keep drinking this. Although when I do get to the bottom of this cup, the consistency of the drink does get a little weird. It kind of feels like the pulp of the lemonade but in chai. Despite that though, I would give it a 9/10.

Café Diem has been known to be a stomping grounds for students from middle school age to college age. Everyone enjoys the coffee and the free wifi available. The service there is enjoyable with smiling baristas and kind service. Although it is always quite busy, it has a very cozy feel.

This was an obvious win to Café Diem. The taste lasted longer and was more enjoyable in the first place. Don’t get us wrong, Starbucks has it’s perks. It just seems that Starbucks needs to keep it’s focus on the delicious brew of coffee stew instead of Oprah’s chai tea lattes.